Used To Be
by monkeyCsaw
Summary: An old queen's reflections on her life and how much has changed. One-shot for Warriors Challenge Forum.


**Just a little something I whipped up for Warriors Challenge Forum. Not all that great, but eh, I liked it. Enjoy!**

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It was a beautiful greenleaf day, the old she-cat reflected idly. One of those not too cold, not too hot days. The pale green leaves above her fluttered in the wind and she listened to the sweet sounds happily. Around her, the Clan went about their daily business, jumping and bounding and running around like ants. The analogy amused the old queen and she purred with amusement. She could pick out the dark pelts of her kits, now full-grown warriors.

Pride pricked at her paws and warmed her worn heart. Oh, how she loved all her kits. She'd lost many, but had watched still more become warriors. She purred as her thoughts wandered to her times a young warrior, when her long dark fur was still glossy and lovely.

Tigerfur, they called her. Yes, she remembered that well. She remembered how warriors had feared her long claws and blazing amber eyes. _A she-demon on the battle field_ they had whispered. She chuckled silently at the thought, stretching and letting the sunhigh sun warm her tired muscles.

She remembered her first litter; her proud mate, Stormeye and the even prouder medicine cat, happy and relieved after his first delivery. Only one had made it to be a warrior from that litter she remembered. Now, one of the most respected warriors, deputy of ThunderClan. Pride warmed her heart once more.

She remembered her warrior ceremony like it had been just last season.

"_Tigerfur! Tigerfur! Tigerfur!"_

_The newly named warrior gazed at her Clan in awe and pure joy, having finally achieved her warrior status. She blinked gratefully at her now former mentor. She had taught her more than any other cat. Her mentor nudged her affectionately. _

"_I'm so proud of you," the senior warrior rasped, and Tigerfur licked her ear gently. A purr rumbled in her chest and she blinked at her mentor. Blackstorm licked her shoulder in return and backed away, green eyes choked with emotion._

The old queen stretched once more, feeling her limbs pop. That day had been the best of her life.

Her apprenticeship hadn't passed all that excitedly. Well, except for her first Gathering of course. The elder chuckled once more as she remembered the friends she had made. Many were gone to StarClan, but she still saw old Crowtail of RiverClan every now and then. Of course, she hadn't been to a Gathering in moons. She sighed longingly as her thoughts went to that first Gathering.

"_I'm Tigerpaw!" she called excitedly, bouncing on her toes and practically bursting with energy. The others cast her amused glances but answered her all the same._

"_Crowpaw of RiverClan, and this is my sister, Larkpaw."_

"_I'm Galepaw, from ThunderClan!"_

"_Brackenpaw, WindClan."_

"_Nice to meet you all!" she had mewed, still excited about her first Gathering. Galepaw was handsome, she had thought to herself. _

Of course, she reflected now, not as handsome as her Stormeye. She sighed as a familiar sorrow settled on her heart, remembering her mate. They had been friends since kithood, she remembered that too.

"_I'm Stormkit!" the little grey tom squeaked, his unusual blue-green eyes blinking at her with energy and life. The tiny kit in front of him purred and pounced on his tail playfully._

"_I'm Tigerkit!" she growled. "I'm going to be the best warrior this Clan has ever seen!"_

She sighed again, missing him so much that her chest ached. One of the apprentices padded up and she felt a stirring of pity for the fear in his young eyes. The poor tom was small and plain for his age.

"H-here you go," he stammered, so unsure of himself. She purred at him.

"Thank you, youngster," she rasped as she pulled the rabbit he had brought for her closer. "Thank you very much."

His blue eyes brightened and felt amusement. He reminded her of her kits. "What is your name?"

"Stormpaw."

She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the name soak in. "Stormpaw," she purred. "Well, Stormpaw, would you like to hear a story?"

His eyes blazed forth and he nodded eagerly, sitting down and letting his tail sweep over his small paws. She could feel his anticipation and suddenly was rather happy to share a story with the youngster. "I would enjoy a story very much," he answered solemnly, politely. She laughed.

"This happened a long time ago, when my name was Tigerfur and the Clans were bitter rivals…"

Everything had changed, she reflected later that night, staring up at the stars. Stormeyes was gone and her name was even different. She was named not for her spirit and fur as once before; she was named for the battle scars she bore upon her face and shoulders.

Scarface closed her eyes. She wasn't bitter about her name. She wasn't sad or lost. No, she just wished things had been different. She just wished her mate was still there to rub his pelt against hers and tell her she was still beautiful. She may not have believed it, but by StarClan did she just want to hear the words now.

_Stormeye, I miss you. And I miss Tigerfur, the cat I used to be. I miss you both so much._

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**I feel like this is really rambly and disorganized, but again, eh. Review please :)**


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